A Deeper Darkness
by Cari7
Summary: Takes place right after Season 3 episode Tomorrow. Connor has dumped Angel into the ocean... now what? Thank you to Nerene for any further chapters after chapter one... I was going to stop there.
1. Deep Water

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters... it's all so sad. Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own it all.

**A Deeper Darkness**-by Cari Kinz

The box slid silently into the dark depths of the ocean. He watched the water close over it as it disappeared.

"You did the right thing." Came the hesitant voice from close behind him.

Not too close though. She was afraid of him, a little.

More than a little actually. He could smell it.

A vampire's sense of smell. Only one of several things he'd inherited from Angel.

"My Father." Connor said softly, still staring at the place where the box had disappeared.

"Holtz was a great man." Justine said. "That thing deserved what it got."

"My Father," he said again, turning to look at her. "You cared about him."

Justine nodded quickly. "He was…"

"A great man." Connor said. "You said that."

He remembered being tied to the Quor'toth's spiny equivalent of a tree. Small stinging insects swarmed up his legs but he didn't dare cry out.

He had wanted his Father to come back to him, to untie him, but he'd learned very quickly not to beg or plead.

That was weak and he was not weak.

Being tied to the tree, and left to get out by himself, was a good thing.

It was good to be strong.

It would help him when he was older and could hunt the terrible thing that had killed his Father's family.

He was a weapon.

He was a tool to be used in the fight against evil.

He was five-years-old when he learned this.

"A great man." Connor said again and he felt his stomach clench as he heard Angel's words in his head again.

_Listen to me--I love you! Never forget that! Connor! Connor...never forget that I'm your father and that I love you!_

Why did that make him hurt inside? Why did those simple words make his chest feel so tight?

_A vampire, that is what Angel is. A vampire. A beast that slaughtered and showed no mercy to anyone. He isn't my father!_

And yet… the vampire had treated him with kindness. Had come after him when he was lost. Saved him from being killed.

Kept him from hurting others in this strange world.

Angel had friends.

Human friends, that he seemed to cared about and who cared about him.

He cared about Cordelia and it was his need to tell her that, that helped Connor trick him.

He fought demons and monsters. He killed vampires like himself.

_Not the same. He has a soul._ A voice in his mind insisted on pointing out. Connor shook his head but the train of thoughts continued.

_He has a soul and he fights for good and…_

_Weakness. Lies._

Connor heard Holtz' voice in his head now, saw with his mind's eye their home in the Quor'toth. Saw himself as a small boy; sitting on the dirt floor, head bowed in shame as his Father lectured him.

"Weakness! You could not get lose of your bonds! Do you think that Angelus would show you mercy for your weakness, Stephen?"

"No Father." He had whispered. He didn't cry of course; that would have just proven his weakness more.

"You are my only hope to avenge myself on him." Holtz said softly. "A child, an impossible child, born of two vampires. You were sent by God to help me!"

The child known as Stephen looked up at Holtz. He seemed so big to the small boy.

"Yes Father." He said and almost smiled.

Holtz shook his head. "But maybe you are too much like him. Maybe you pretend not to be able to do things. Angelus is cunning. Maybe there is too much of him in you."

"No!" the child shook his head quickly. "No, I will destroy him for you! I swear it Father!"

Holtz held his gaze with his own. "Do you? Do you swear it? We will get out of this place some day. I know that. I feel it. I did not sleep the years away to be thwarted. This," he said gesturing around them. "This was part of the plan. I see that now. This place was the only place I could teach you properly. God works in mysterious ways."

"Yes Father." Stephen said. It always made him nervous when his Father spoke of "God". The light in his eyes seem brighter and his smile was strange.

Probably because it was the only time he did smile.

"Yes." Holtz said softly. "You will be my vengeance Stephen. I took you as he took mine. He thinks he knows pain now, but when we return, he will truly understand."

"We're almost to shore." Justine said. Connor tore his eyes from the wake behind them and his mind from the past.

"I have a place that you can stay… if you want." She said without meeting his gaze.

_She doesn't want me._ Connor thought._ No one does anymore._

_That's not true._ The voice in his head said. And he realized it was right.

"I'm going to my… the hotel." He told her.

Justine looked at him then and he could see her relief. "Yeh, ok." She said.

Connor stared at her for a moment. The words from the letter came into his head. He heard them in his Father's voice as clearly as if he had said them.

_Your destiny lies with Angel, I know that now. You will have a better life with him. I am comforted by that certainty and in the knowledge that with him, you will discover your true purpose and come to know who it is, you were meant to be._

"I never saw a vampire bite before." Connor said abruptly and wondered what made him say it at all.

Justine flinched.

"Well… now you have." She said and he could smell her fear again.

Something wasn't right.

Connor continued to stare at her. "It looked different than what I thought it would."

"So… what?" she snapped at him.

The hair on the nape of Connor's neck rose. He looked back over the water.

"My Father told Angel he wanted me to stay here with him." Connor said slowly. "Told me that my place was with Angel. That Angel could teach me what I am. He gave me back. Why would Angel kill him?"

"Because that's what vampires do!" Justine ran a shaking hand through her hair. "God! Don't you get that? How could you have been with Holtz for so long and not know that? Angelus took his revenge on Daniel!"

The voice in Connor's head was whispering again.

"I don't know… I mean, I know and you're right but he seemed… different. And Holtz, my Father, he wanted me to…"

"Yeh, and then that thing killed him!" Justine took a step toward him and then stopped. Her eyes were wide and fear radiated out from her in waves. "It killed him. You know that." She pointed back out to sea, where they had left Angel. "That thing killed him. You took your revenge and Holtz'. Are you having second thoughts now? Daniel is dead! You chopped his head off and burned him to make sure that thing hadn't defiled him! Did you forget that? You were supposed to be his soldier. His weapon!"

Justine's words shook him.

His weapon.

Not his son, not really.

_No, not true._

His Father might have felt that way- once. But he really had loved him. The letter he'd written, it proved that… didn't it? He'd tried to do what he thought was right. It was Angelus who had destroyed everything.

Now Holtz was gone.

_And Angel's gone too._ The voice in his mind said then grew silent.

The boat docked and Connor jumped to the deck.

Without a word to Justine, he started toward the hotel where Angel's friends were, waiting for his return.

He realized then that whether or not Angel was a fraud in the fight against evil, his presence would be missed. And not only by his friends.

Angel had a reputation in the city. Although Connor thought that it was all just part of Angelus' evil plan, whatever that might be, the fact was the other evil things in the city feared him.

When they figured out he was gone, their activities would increase and the result would be terrible.

But just as quickly, he realized that it didn't have to be so terrible.

After all, he possessed the same strengths that Angel did.

He had learned, a little, from Angel.

He could take his place… and keep Angel's mis-guided friends from finding out what had happened to him.

Connor nodded to himself. It was a good plan and it was the right thing to do.

His Father had been right: Angel had shown him what he was, what his place was.

This was a world full of lies and evil. Angelus had been trying to keep it safe for his own purposes but it needed a real champion.

He was it's protector now.

Without a backward glance, Connor set off toward The Hyperion.


	2. Deep Trouble

_**Chapter Two: Deep Trouble**_

Justine woke up tied to a chair. The last thing she remembered was drinking in a bar.

She'd done a lot of that lately.

The room she was in was dim and smelled faintly of old books

"Good, you're awake." A somewhat familiar voice came from close behind her.

Wesley stepped around in front of her so she could see him.

She met his steady gaze with wide-eyes.

"You're surprised to see me alive, I gather." He said finally.

"Yeh." She said, tugging on her bonds. "Look, whatever you're thinking, I'm not into games like this."

"No, I suspect you aren't." Wesley said, sitting in the chair opposite of her. "I must admit, I never use to be into them myself." Reaching over to the coffee table, he picked up a dagger with an ornate hilt. "But," he continued, "I'm discovering that things can change very suddenly and it's best to be prepared for whatever it is you might be doing the next minute."

Justine couldn't help but fear the tone in his voice. It was flat and dark. She stared at the dagger.

"Beautiful isn't it? As I recall, you have a certain appreciation for knives." Wesley said dryly.

"You're going kill me right? So… do it. I don't know anything." Justine nearly spat at him. Her bravado was completely, and obviously, false.

Wesley stared at her for a moment. "I haven't asked you anything yet. As far as killing you goes…I'd like to. In fact, I think I'd like that very much."

Justine swallowed nervously. This was not the Wesley Wyndam-Pryce she'd help trick

into giving up the vampire's child and then left to die in an empty park.

This man was cold and she was very afraid of what he might do.

"A body was found. Decapitated. Burned. It hasn't been identified but I think I know who it was. The authorities believe it was a cult or a gang. Or maybe someone really hated somebody else a lot." Wesley shook his head slightly. "But experience tells me that it was probably the opposite that made someone do what he did. I think someone loved somebody very much and had some reason for making sure that somebody didn't come back."

Justine was very pale. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Wesley made a soft noise in his throat and shrugged. "I think you do. I also think that whatever happened, happened with Connor's help. You wouldn't have been able to take Angel yourself, even if you had the help of your flunkies. Besides, it wouldn't have fit into Holtz' revenge without him."

"Justice!" Justine hissed. "His justice!"

Wesley smiled slightly. "So, Connor _was_ involved."

Justine flushed and glared at him.

"Well that gives me some hope then." Wesley said. "Where is Angel, Justine?"

Justine gave a short laugh. "You got me. Connor staked him."

Nodding, Wesley stood and paced a few steps away from the chair. "That would have been the smart thing to do, but when emotions are high, the smart thing doesn't seem to be the first thought. Especially when it comes to revenge obsessed, child stealers." He held the dagger up. "A friend of mine gave me this. He'd just lost someone very, very dear to him and he'd gone away to heal. He brought this to me because he knew I'd like it. It was extremely thoughtful, especially given the circumstances."

Wesley ran his fingertips down the scabbard. "My friend is a good man. He doesn't see himself that way sometimes and unfortunately, no matter how good he is, there are people who don't see him as a good man either. Sometimes even his friends forget."

"You're talking about Angelus." Justine sneered.

"His name is Angel." Wesley said calmly. "And yes, I am."

"He's not a man!" Justine twisted, trying to meet Wesley's gaze. "He's a murdering demon! He killed Holtz!"

Wesley approached the chair and knelt down to stared into Justine's eyes for a moment. "I don't believe you Justine." He told her. "I don't know what happened but I know that Angel didn't kill Holtz and I know he didn't disappear on his own. I don't believe that Connor staked him because I don't think it fits into Holtz' brand of revenge. But I do know that you have the answers I want. And you will give them to me."

"You think so?" Justine laughed nervously. "Go ahead, use that knife on me. I've got nothing left to lose."

Wesley stood. "This is too good to use on you." He placed the dagger on the table. "And where as I think I would like to kill you, that won't get me what I want. However, the human body can withstand a remarkable amount of damage before it finally expires."

Justine stared at him. "You're going to…"

"Torture you? I've never actually tortured anyone before, but I do have first hand knowledge of what it's like to _be_ tortured. There aren't words to describe what it's like, honestly. But it is very effective as a means of getting information." He moved around behind her

"You're going to torture a human being for that _thing_?" Justine practically screamed.

Without warning, Wesley grabbed a fist full of her hair and jerked her head back. Leaning down, he put his face less than an inch from hers.

"His name is Angel." He practically growled. "He was my friend. He trusted me with his child and with your help, I betrayed that trust! Oh, and let's not forget the fact that you tried to kill me! Yes Justine, I am capable of killing you and I will torture you if you don't tell me what happened. In fact, I don't think that it would bother me in the slightest to do so!" he shoved her head forward, sending her and the chair toppling to the floor.

Justine stared up at him, eyes wide with shock and fear.

"You have 10 minutes to think about that." Wesley told her calmly before leaving the room.

Wesley stood in his bedroom and watched the clock tick away the minutes. On the outside, he appeared to be calm and in control.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The plan had been to take Justine and scare her into telling him what had happened.

Except that when it came down to it, he realized that he was ready to actually torture her if he needed to.

And, in fact, some small part of him wished she wouldn't tell him, at least not right away.

Wesley felt as if a lump of ice had suddenly formed in his stomach. He leaned back against the door and slowly slid down it as his knees gave way.

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: Head boy. Watcher. Former Watcher. Ally of a redeemed vampire in the fight against evil.

No more.

He wasn't any of that anymore and the recognition of that fact shook him to his very core.

He'd betrayed his friend. He'd slept, literally, with his enemy. He'd taken a hostage and, even knowing first hand the horror of being tortured, was now preparing to torture that hostage for information.

_The road to hell is paved with good intentions._ He thought miserably.

_Are they good intentions?_ A voice that sounded like his own asked him.

_You want information, but is that all?_

"She nearly killed me." He said softly.

The clocked ticked off another minute.

_Is that all?_

Wesley closed his eyes and saw Faith. She was glaring down at him, a shard of glass in her hand. She was smiling, her face a mask of rage and hate.

But her rage wasn't directed at him; he was just an object to vent it on.

"I have reason to hate Justine." Wesley said to the empty room.

_Rage Wesley. You have rage. At Justine. At your friends… But mostly at yourself._

"Yes I do." His voice was thick and he swallowed. The nearly healed wound on his throat gave a sudden throb.

The second hand ticked on, another minute gone.

Wesley stood and opened the door.

"Time's up Justine. I hope you've chosen wisely." He said

_For both our sakes. _


	3. Deep Longing

_**Chapter Three: Deep Longing**_

They were whispering again.

Connor sighed and leaned back against the pillow on his bed.

He knew the routine: a few moments of whispering, Fred trying to convince Gunn to go in the room with her. Gunn trying to convince Fred that it was a bad idea. And then Fred would come in, by herself.

He didn't get along with Gunn. The man was suspicious by nature and considering what Connor had done, it put him on edge.

Fred was a different story.

When Angel first disappeared, she'd done everything she could to reassure him that his father would return. Connor had been somewhat proud of the fact that he'd fooled her so completely.

Fred always tried to put on a positive face when she was around him but as time wore on and Angel and Cordy didn't return, Connor started feeling less and less proud of his ability to trick her.

Not that he was sorry he'd done it, he assured himself. But, mis-guided as it was, Fred loved Angel and, by extension, she loved Connor too.

It hurt him that she was upset by this.

"Hi Connor." She said brightly as the door opened.

Connor smiled.

"I brought you a sandwich."

Connor's smile widened. She always said it like it was supposed to be a big gift. Oddly enough, he always felt like it was.

She smiled and ruffled his hair. "You have to eat the carrot sticks too."

"Awww." Connor mumbled. He didn't like vegetables. Plants in the Quor'toth were few and far between and the ones that were there were carnivorous.

"Come on now." Fred said. "They aren't bad. In fact they're good, which is the farthest thing from bad."

Sometimes Fred said the strangest things but at least she cared. It was a simple thing really but it meant so much.

"I know. I'll… try." He told her.

"Good." She wandered over to the window and stared out at the city for a few moments. Her smiled faded and Connor knew she was thinking about Angel.

"Cordy too." Fred said softly and Connor felt a chill go through him.

"What?" he said.

Fred shook her head. "I was just thinking about Angel and Cordy." There was a catch in her voice as she turned to look at him.

Connor looked away, suddenly unable to meet her gaze. "What about them?" he said taking a bite of his sandwich. "I told you before, they could be together." He said from around his mouthful.

The truth was that he was more than a little concerned about Cordelia. His relief that she hadn't met up with Angel that night at the ocean had quickly turned to worry when he found out that no one knew where she was.

In his panic after sinking Angel, he had offered the idea that they had run away together… once it was out there; he didn't know how to change it so he'd stuck with it. Fred and Gunn didn't even consider it though, and he was relieved that they hadn't stopped looking for her.

"And I told you before, they wouldn't have done that." Fred was saying. She smiled sympathetically at Connor. "I'm sure that your Dad is ok though- and if Cordy is with him, she's safe as houses." She paused a moment. "I don't really get that phrase entirely but it's a good thing- honestly."

"Are we going out again?" he asked, taking another big bite from his sandwich. "I heard Gunn talking about a vamp nest down by the docks."

Fred frowned slightly. "Don't talk with your mouth full. And yes we are but you shouldn't be eavesdropping."

Connor rolled his eyes and pretended to be interested in the carrot sticks on his plate. He was nervous about being near the docks with them. There wasn't any reason to be more nervous there than anywhere else really. After all, it wasn't like he thought Angel was going to rise up out of the water and come after him like the monster in that silly movie Fred made him watch with her the other night.

Still, he didn't like being near the scene of his…

_Crime?_ The voice in his head asked.

_No, not crime!_ Connor answered the thought._ I didn't do anything wrong. Angel got what he deserved._

"So do you deserve some too?" Fred was staring at him.

Connor felt all the muscles in his body stiffen, ready to run. "What?" he managed to whisper.

"Ice cream. I said that I deserve some ice cream for finishing my lunch. Do you?" she cocked her head to the side. "Honey, are you feeling ok?"

"I'm fine. I… yes I want ice cream." He said.

"Did someone say something about ice cream?" Gunn said from the doorway.

He met Connor's gaze and gave him a halfhearted smile.

_He does try, sometimes._ Connor thought and returned the smile with a grin. "Yeh, she did."

"Well alright then. Let's hustle people."

Fred rolled her eyes. "Oh sure, ask him to put his shoes away, he can't hear me. Mention ice cream and he's got ears like a-"

"Vampire?" Connor asked and wrinkled his nose up at her.

Laughing, Fred swatted his shoulder. "Like a bat, smarty. Now hurry up with that sandwich."

Connor watched her leave the room and realized he was still smiling.

He felt good.

He felt like he belonged.

Eventually they would give up searching for Angel and, once they found Cordy, things would be fine.

Nodding to himself, Connor finished his sandwich and followed Fred downstairs.


	4. Deep Division

_**Chapter 4: Deep Division**_

The boat's engine chugged steadily as Wesley steered through the dark waves. His eyes scanned the water as far as he could see. Not that he thought he'd be able to detect what he was looking for from the surface, but it kept him focused on his task.

"How much longer are you going to keep me prisoner?" Justine said. "What's it been, two, two and a half months?"

"Three. And until I find Angel." He said without taking his eyes off the water. The sound of the radar remained steady.

"Oh, sorry. You didn't give me a calendar in my closet after all. And the time just flies by listening to you bang your Wolfram and Hart buddy." She sneered. "So what if you never find him?"

"Then I'll get you another bucket." He said.

Justine mumbled a curse under her breath and fell silent.

Wesley concentrated on the vast nothing-ness and tried to block out the thoughts that seemed to want to drown him.

Fred and Gunn.

Connor was with them, he knew that. But despite the fact that Connor had homicidal tendencies, Wesley was sure that they were only directed at his father. And in fact, should they confront him on Wesley's word, it might do more harm than good.

It was best to allow Connor to believe he had gotten away with his plan- at least until Wesley could find Angel.

_If_ he could find Angel.

The radar blipped.

Wesley glanced at it. Experience told him that it wasn't strong enough to be the type of container Angel was in.

He didn't care.

"Time to get wet Justine." He said, cutting the engine.

Justine scowled at the radar. "That's not him."

Wesley shrugged. "No harm in looking." He told her with a small smile.

"The water's cold."

"I meant, no harm to _me_. Besides, you have a wet suit. That's more than Angel has."

She looked like she was going to say something, but the smile had faded from his face and she didn't risk it.

It was then that he realized that she knew who he was now more than anyone.

One more reason to hate her.

"Remember," he said as she prepared to go over the side. "If it is him and you don't tell me, we will just do this until you've tired of my company. Angel's not going anywhere after all."

Justine glared at him. "No, he's just getting hungrier and hungrier. Did you think about that? What's it going to be like when you open up the lid on him?" Justine shook her head slowly. "He's going to attack the first person he sees."

"All the more reason to send you down, first." Wesley said. "Now, get on with it Justine. It's late. Keep me out here too long and I'll be too tired to clean your bucket."

There was a splash as she hit the water, then silence.

Relative silence anyway. Los Angeles was all around and it was never silent. Even this far out he could here the traffic over the sound of the water.

He thought about Fred.

Her face, her soft smile came into his mind.

He forced it away.

His mind was dark and cold. Not a place for Fred right now.

_Will it ever be?_ He wondered.

_Will it ever again be a place for thoughts that don't center on anger and pain?_

"I don't know." He said softly.

He thought about Angel.

He wasn't really worried that Justine wouldn't tell him when they found the container. She seemed to have lost the fight she once had since Holtz' death. Besides, Wesley was pretty sure she was tired of his company. It would probably be a relief to her, to find Angel.

What must it be like where he was?

_Dark and cold._

Wesley shivered.

He didn't know for certain what Angel's condition would be, but he had a pretty good idea.

Starving, perhaps driven mad with hunger, he might very well attack the first person he saw, as Justine predicted.

In his mind he saw Angel's face, twisted with rage.

The anger in his voice had been hard, cutting through the smothering softness of the pillow.

_I'll kill you!_

But he hadn't.

Wesley had pondered that fact over and over again, and could not come to any explanation as to why Angel hadn't killed him.

Sometimes he thought it may have been their friendship or that even in his rage Angel knew Wesley had been trying to save Connor.

And sometimes, like tonight, he thought maybe Angel had taken the route that the gypsy's used on him and given him a lifetime to regret his sin instead of a quick death.

Maybe he should indeed be the first one to open the box.

"It was a shopping cart." Justine said coming over the side of the boat. "But you knew that."

"I… suspected." He said. "Now I know. Time to go home. Better luck tomorrow."

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Gunn hung up the phone and frowned at Fred.

"What?" she asked. "Nothing again?"

"No, not nothing." He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Then what? Charles, stop keeping me in suspense."

Gunn stood up and walked around to the front of the desk. "I'm not keeping you in suspense. I'm trying to decide if it's even worth looking at."

Connor stood in the shadows of the second floor listening to their conversation. Every time the phone rang lately he was filled with dread that it might be someone who knew something about Angel's whereabouts.

_Paranoia_. He thought.

_No, that's when you have an un-justified fear_. His mind voice corrected. _This fear is very justified._

"Charles, every lead is potentially the one that's going to help us find Angel." Fred was saying.

Connor moved closer to the stairs.

"Yeh, ok." Gunn said. He reached out and touched Fred's face. "I just don't want you to be disappointed again.

"And what about you, Tough Guy?" she said with a half smile. "I know you want to find Angel and Cordy just as much as I do."

Gunn shrugged. "Course. Dude owes me money." He told her then smiled a little. "We're leaving Connor here though."

Connor frowned.

Gunn was really starting to get on his nerves a lot. He was always telling him where to go and when to be back. Connor did what he said, for the most part, but still it wasn't like he needed a-

_Father?_

The frown became a scowl.

"We can't do that." Fred said. "He has a right to help find out what happened. He's just as worried as we are."

"Fred, he's too wild for this. Look, the vamps we are going after are real tough, and Connor is not exactly a calming influence."

Connor crept down the stairs to the office door and waited.

Fred was already making a case for him going, which meant he was practically already there.

Fred sighed. "Maybe you're right. Do these guys claim they know what happened to Angel?"

_What!_

Connor froze. He could feel his heartbeat racing.

Had someone seen what he'd done?

"The information is that they know someone who says they saw 'something'. Only my informant doesn't know where the vamp that actually saw that something is. That's why we have to go find these other vamps- they know where she is."

Connor stepped into the office, careful to keep his face as blank as possible. "What's up?"

Gunn frowned. "Cuz you don't know? Are you telling me you couldn't hear us?"

"Charles…" Fred said. "Come on."

Gunn sighed and smiled a little. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just…"

"Grouchy?" Connor asked allowing a small smile of his own to surface.

"Yes, he is." Fred said. "Connor, we're going out. We want you to stay here. In case… in case someone calls or something."

"Where are you going? Does it have something to do with my dad?" the eagerness in his voice had an immediate effect on Fred. She bit her bottom lip and glanced sideways at Gunn.

"Well… yes, maybe." She said.

"Let me go, please!" he said looking from Fred to Gunn then back to Fred. She met his gaze and he gave her a lopsided smile.

She'd told him once that smile reminded her of Angel's.

It worked like a charm.

"Charles… we have to take him." She said putting her arm around Connor's shoulders. "Besides, if we get in trouble, we might need him."

Gunn rolled his eyes. "He'll get us _in _trouble." He grumbled but he knew he'd already lost the battle.

"Promise me," he said, nailing Connor with his most serious look, "Promise me that you will not run off and that you will listen to me."

"I promise." Connor said. "Scouts honor."

"Boy, you were never a Scout." Gunn said as he walked out of the office.

"Scout's honor?" Fred said following Connor out.

"I heard it somewhere. I thought it was a good thing." He said as they moved to the weapon's cabinet.

Fred laughed and ruffled his already tousled hair.

Connor felt another sting of guilt. He'd had many of them since he'd sunk Angel into the ocean and deceived his friends. This one was because he had every intention of running off once they reached their destination tonight. If the vamps they were meeting did know something, he had to find out what it was before Gunn and Fred did.

But the guilt was ok. He could handle it.  
He'd learned lots of new phrases from the books Angel had left for him in his room and one in particular always came to mind in situations like this:

_The ends justify the means._

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**Author's Note: I had intended "A Deeper Darkness" to be a one shot with the first chapter being the only one, so thank you to those of you, in particular Nerene, who read and wanted more. I feel like I've filled in the "gap" between the episodes of "Tomorrow" and "Deep Down" to the best of my ability so this is the last chapter of "A Deeper Darkness".**

**For anyone interested in more fics based on this particular situation, I have written "Unspoken Words", a Wesley-centric fic that takes place before "Tomorrow" and "From The Depths", an Angel-centric fic that takes place before "Deep Down" and is from Angel's POV.**


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